Cylinder unit



Sept 14, 1965 M. A. MANDELKo CYLINDER UNIT Filed May 5, 1964 TTOP/Vfs/S United States Patent O 3,205,789 CYLINDER UNIT Melvin A. Mandelko, 1231 6th Ave. S., Fort Dodge, Iowa Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,114 16 Claims. (Cl. 92-8) This invention relates to a cylinder unit and in particular to a cylinder employing a throttling means.

A problem of prior art cylinders is obtaining smooth operation as a piston or the like is reciprocated. Hereto- `fore it has been necessary to dampen the explosive action of air cylinders by use of separate and independent hydraulic force dampeners. There is a tendency for pistons moving against uid such as oil or the like to cause the `oil to boil or bubble as it is placed under pressure and moved from one chamber to another.

Accordingly it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a cylinder unit which will give continuous smooth operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cylinder unit Which eliminates the boiling and bubbling of oil or the like therein.

`It is still a `further object of this invention to provide a cylinder unit which employs both air and fluid in its operation.

Thus, an important object of this invention is to provide a cylinder unit having a force dampening or throttling or cushioning action within the power unit itself thereby eliminating the need for an auxiliary attachment thereto.

It is another object of this invention to provide an air cylinder with a throttle or surge-dampening means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an air powered integral cylinder unit having its own built-in shock absorber.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a cylinder unit employing a `baflie chamber having a continuous ribbon of perforated metal including diagonally disposed portions extending across the baie chamber through which fluid is forced thereby eliminating turbulence of the fluid as it passes from one chamber to another in the cylinder.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cylinder unit which is simple in design, economical to manufacture and rened in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more `fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cylinder unit of this invention showing in particular the piston shaft extending from one end of the cylinder;

FIG. 2 is au elevation cross-sectional view of the cylinder of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 and showing in particular the internal components of the cylinder;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 3 in FIG. 2 showing only the throttling chamber and in particular the diagonal ribbon of perforated metal serving asV a baille member in the throttling chamber; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2 showing in particular the details of construction of the valve closing the return ports.

A cylinder unit of this invention is referred to generally in FIG, 1 by the reference numeral 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2, it includes an outer cylindrical wall 12 with end walls 14 and 16 at either end. The end wall 14 is secured to the cylindrical wall 12 by weldments 18 before the internal components hereinafter described are positioned within the cylindrical wall 12. An air inlet port 20 is formed 3,205,789 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 ice in the end wall 14. The end wall 16 is held in position by a pair of lock rings 22 on either side which engage peripheral grooves formed in the inner surface of the cylinder wall 12.

Intermediate the ends of the cylinder 12, a wall 24 is provided which is connected by a locking ring 26 to a tubular member 28 extending along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 12 through the end wall 16. The tubular member 28 is held in engagement with the end wall 16 by a locking ring 30. Thus the wall 24 is held in position within the cylinder 12 by the locking ring 26 and a shoulder 32 on the inner end of the tubular member 28 adjacent its inner end.

Sealing O-rings 34 are provided along the peripheral edge 0f the end wall 16 for engagement with the inner surface of the cylinder wall 12. Also an O-ring 36 is similarly provided around the center wall 24 for engagement with the cylinder wall 12.

The wall 24 intermediate the ends 14 and 16 of the cylinder 12 define chambers 42 and 44. A piston 46 carried on a shaft 48 is disposed within the chamber 42. Between the piston 46 and the cylinder end wall 14. a third chamber 50 is defined with is in communication with the air inlet port 20. A pair of O-rings 52 are provided around the peripheral edge of the piston 46. Also embracing the shaft 48 within the tubular member 28 are two sealing sleeve means 54 and 56 which are also provided with O-rings 58 and 60.

A first port 62 is formed through the center wall 24 and is in communication with a throttling chamber 64. A 'baffle member is positioned in the throttling chamber 64 and is formed from a continuous diagonal ribbon of perforated `metal 66. The ribbon 66 is rectangular in shape before it is bent into a plurality of transversely extending porti-ons `for engagement with opposite side walls inside the throttling chamber 64 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As particularly shown in FIG. 3, the throttling chamber is square in cross-section and the transverse portions of the battle plate diagonal ribbon are co-extensive with the cross-sectional area of the chamber 64. Also in FIG. 3 a plurality of holes 70 are illustrated. At the top of the throttling chamber 64 an outlet port 72 is formed in the side wall and at the bottom of the chamber 64 a second port 74 is provided.

The longitudinal axis o-f the port 62 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the throttling chamber 64 but at an angle to each of the portions of the battle plate ribbon Which extends transversely of the throttling chamber.

A plurality of return ports 76 are formed in the center wall 24 and are normally closed by a spring loaded valve 78. The ports 76 are concentric about the center shaft 8D of the valve 78. A circular plate element 82 is provided on one end of the shaft in the chamber 42 for closing the ports 76. A spring 84 holds the circular plate 82 in its closed position.

In operation it is seen that air under pressure may be introduced through the port 20 into the chamber 50 whereupon the piston 46 is moved upwardly as seen in FIG. 2. The chamber 42 is filled with a tiuid such as oil which upon upward movement of the piston 46 is moved through the port 62 into the throttling chamber 64. The oil is forced through at least one transverse diagonal battle plate portion before it is permitted to escape through an outlet port in the throttling chamber 64. The first outlet port accessible to the oil is the outlet port 74 at the bottom of the throttling chamber. Most of the oil however will follow the direction of the arrows through the holes 70 in the baffle plate 66 and escape through the upper outlet port 72. The oil then tiows around in the chamber 44 until the shaft 48 is mechanically o1' otherwise moved back to its initial position adjacent the cylinder end wail 14. During this operation a negative pressure or vacuum occurs in the chamber 42 thus drawing the oil against the valve 73 whereupon at a predetermined pressure the valve 78 opens and the oil flows through the port holes 76. Once the pressures are equalized the valve 78 closes. It is seen then that an extremely smooth operating cylinder unit is provided by employing the throttling chamber 64 through which the oil must tlow as it passes from the chamber 42 to the chamber 44 under the pressure of the piston 46. The turbulence of oil boiling and bubbling under pressure through a small opening is eliminated by the throttling chamber 64 thereby providing the smooth operation of the cylinder unit 10.

The cylinder unit described has the advantages of both air and hydraulic power. The fast lift of air power is coupled with the smooth action of hydraulic power and the smooth action of the hydraulic power is accomplished by the use of the metering or throttling chamber 64 in conjunction with the valve 78 opening and closing the return ports 76. This entire action acts as a throttle or slowing down device for the movement of the piston as actuated by the air.

The return ports 76 in the center wall 24 are sufficient in quantity and size t give the desired rate of return of the oil from the chamber 44 to the chamber 42.

As a modification to the valve arrangement shown, the valve may serve to both meter the fluid from the chamber 42 as well as facilitate its return. This can be accomplished by reducing the diameter of the flat plate element 82 until the return ports 76 create a partial access between the chambers 42 and 44 at all times. The entire cylinder unit would then need to be bathed t0 reduce the tubulence of the tluid as it moves from chamber 42 to chamber 44.

It is also to be appreciated that ports such as 76 and 62 alone may function to meter the flow of oil into chamber 44 from chamber 42 and thereby provide a built-in shock absorber for the air powered cylinder unit 10. Thus there is no need for a separate independent hydraulic force danipener. The built-in shock absorber dampens the explosive action of the air powered piston 46.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my cylinder unit without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a cylinder,

a hollow member having a wall intermediate its ends,

said wall and said ends of said hollow member deiining a pair of chambers,

a piston and shaft disposed in one of said chambers,

said shaft extending outwardly of said cylinder,

said piston adapted to move between said wall and the end of said one chamber, a third chamber being defined by said piston and the end of said one chamber,

a pressure source in communication with said third chamber,

said wall having a tirst port extending therethrough,

a throttle chamber being in communication with said first port and disposed in the other chamber of said pair of chambers,

a battle member positioned in said throttle chamber,

a return port in said wall, and

a valve associated with said return port and having means for maintaining it in a normally closed position.

2. The cylinder of claim l wherein said one chamber is tilled with fluid and upon movement of said piston towards said wall said Huid travels through said first port into said throttle chamber and outwardly thereof through said bathe, and upon movement of said piston away from said wall said tiuid in said other chamber being drawn through said return port to said one chamber by negative pressure therein, said valve adapted to `Open under pressure of said liuid seeking to return to said one chamber.

3. The cylinder of claim 1 wherein said baille member has a portion extending transversely of said throttle chamber, said portion is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures and said first port has a longitudinal axis extending through said battie portion.

4. The cylinder of claim 1 wherein said throttle chamber has at least one outlet port and said bathe member is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures, said outlet port being s0 arranged with respect to said outlet port that fluid entering said throttle chamber passes through at least a portion of said baffle member.

5. In a cylinder,

a hollow member having a wall intermediate its ends, said wall and said ends of said hollow member deiining a pair of chambers,

a piston and shaft disposed in one of said chambers, said shaft extending through `said wall and extending outwardly of said other chamber through the associated end of said hollow member,

said piston adapted to move between said wall and the end 0f said one chamber, a third chamber being defined by said piston and the end of said one chamber,

an air pressure source in communication with said third chamber,

said wall having a tirst port extending therethrough,

a throttle chamber being in communication with said trst port and disposed in the other chamber of said pair of chambers,

a bathe member positioned in said throttle chamber,

a return port in said wall,

a valve associated with said return port and having means for maintaining it in a normally closed position, and

said one chamber being tlled with oil or the like.

6. In a cylinder,

a hollow member having a pair of chambers separated by a wall,

a piston movably disposed in one of said chambers,

said wall having a rst port extending between said chambers,

a throttle chamber in said other chamber in direct communication with said port,

a bathe member having a plurality of spaced apertures -in said throttle chamber,

said throttle member having at least one opening in communication with said other chamber,

a said wall having a return port extending between said pair of chambers,

a one way valve associated with said return port and operable upon a predetermined pressure being applied thereto, and

means for moving said piston to a position adjacent said wall to a second position outwardly thereof.

7. In a cylinder,

a hollow member having a pair of chambers separated by a wall,

a piston movably disposed in one of said chambers,

said wall having a first port extending between said chambers,

a throttle chamber in said other chamber in direct communication with said port,

at least one baffle member having a plurality of apertures extending across said throttle chamber,

an outlet port in said throttle chamber on the opposite side of the bafe member from said first port,

said throttle chamber having at least one opening in communication with said other chamber,

said wall having a return port extending between said pair of chambers,

a one way valve associated with said return port and operable upon a predetermined pressure being applied thereto, and

momen means for movinl said. Piston postion-adiaeent saidY Vwall to n second position outwardlythereot. tlnaoylioder. v Y, x i a bollow mcmberlmving n pair ot chambers separated by a wall. s' nins s pair of hsnrbeu. a piston-monthly disposed in one oi said chambers, a piston and shaft disposed in one ot said chambers, said wall having a rst port extending between said said shaft extending outtltrardly` of said cylinder.

chambers, v v i.' A:raidpstonnd dtomove betweensaid wall andthe a chamber in said other chamber in direct Vend of said onechamher, a thildlcbamber being de communication with said gort, o 1n `fined by seid piston and the end of said one chamber. a "plur of bsm'e members extending across said an z pressure source in communication with said throt n chamber, each of said home members having `third chamber, atlestoneaperture fomit therein, jl* V. l said wel! `haring `at `least one port extending there anontletportinaad-throttle ohamberontheopposite 1. throunlnand Y' side ofthebadle membersfromsnid tirstport. '15 saidpistonand otonrth chamber. said throttle chamber having'at least one opening in said -fonrth adeptedto duid, and communication with saidother .zhanslzner,` Y i said nd being toreed'through saidpon in said wall saidwallhavingnreturnportextending between said into said other chamber upon said air pressure pairofchambels, 1 souroe forcingsaidpistontowardsssd wall,said aonewayvalveassociatedwithaaidreturnportand 20 fluid beingretumedtosaidfourthehamberupon operable upon a predetermined pressure being apsaid piston being moved away from said wall and plied thereto, and Y tlreby causing a negative pressure in said third means for moving said piston to a position adjacent chamber relative to the preure in said other charm' said wall to a seoond position outwardly thereof. ber. 9. The ylinder of claim Ilwheten said baille members g5 14. In a cylinder, adjaocnt each other are interconnected thereby forming a a hollow member having n wall intermediate its ends. single lengthof material, each of said bathe members be slid wall and said ends of said hollow member deing positioned at on angle to the longitudinal axis of iningrstandseeondchambers, saidthrottleohamber. e piston and n shaft disposed in said rst chamber,

l0. cylinder of claim wherein said bathe mem- 30 saldshaft extending outwardly ofsaid cylinder, bersadjaofenteachotherareintemonnectedtherebyformsaidpistonadapmdtomnvebetweensaidwallandthe ingasinglelengthofmatesiaLeachofsaidbalememeffdfsldtmmbfahllmberbn hersbeingpotionedatanangletothelongitndinalaxis delinedbysaidpistonandtheendofsaidonechamof said throttle chamber, the direction of llow through ber, midiirstportheingatanangletotheplaneofesehof 35 apreswlesoureeincommunicationwithsaidthird said bathe members. dumber,

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, 6 13. An alr powered cylinder unit having a builtln shock ablorber, www. n hollow member having awall intermediate lts ends, said wel! and said ends of :sid hollow member de SAMUEL LBVINE, Pnmoly Examiner. 

1. IN A CYLINDER, A HOLLOW MEMBER HAVING A WALL INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, SAID WALL AND SAID ENDS OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER DEFINING A PAIR OF CHAMBERS, A PISTON AND SHAFT DISPOSED IN ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS, SAID SHAFT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDER, SAID PISTON ADAPTED TO MOVE BETWEEN SAID WALL AND THE END OF SAID ONE CHAMBER, A THIRD CHAMBER BEING DEFINED BY SAID PISTON AND THE END OF SAID ONE CHAMBER, A PRESSURE SOURCE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID THIRD CHAMBER, SAID WALL HAVING A FIRST PORT-EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A THROTTLE CHAMBER BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FIRST PORT AND DISPOSED IN THE OTHER CHAMBER OF SAID PAIR OF CHAMBERS, A BAFFLE MEMBER POSITIONED IN SAID THROTTLE CHAMBER, A RETURN PORT IN SAID WALL, AND A VALVE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RETURN PORT AND HAVING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING IT IN A NORMALLY CLOSED POSITION. 